I Am Inspiration!: Emotional Intelligence, Key to Success

By Arna Baartz

Emotional intelligence is the key to success! Addressing a spectrum of intelligence brings about noticeably better results for children, particularly those who may have previously slipped through the gap.
I AM Inspiration supports the vision of a sustainable future by nurturing the childs personal development through connection, motivation and self-examination. Exactly what educators need to usher in a brilliant future for all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Sep 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452540849

Arna Baartz

Arna Baartz is a writer, educator and award winning Artist with an enduring love of the visual arts as a method of expression, personal growth and communication. Arna lives in the beautiful Northern Rivers of New South Wales with her loving partner and eight wonderful children.

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Endorsements

‘I think ‘I AM’ is very good. Arna is a very passionate person and should teach lots of kids. Her art is good and pretty and she is very detailed with her work. She gives good ideas and tries to do her best of explaining things to make them sound easy. So in my opinion she rules.’ Jack Roworth aged 10

This well considered, insightful and comprehensive program for building self-esteem in children fills a critical gap in our school’s resources. Nikki Oughton BA, BA Hons (Psych) Registered Psychologist

‘The I AM Program addresses childhood empowerment at the core, going beneath social/cultural difference to expose the unifying attributes of humanity- a valuable and inspiring text for educators that wish to make a difference!’ Andrew-James Williams-Tchen, National Coordinator of Aboriginal Mental Health First Aid, Director/Senior Educator Girraway Ganyi Consultancy

I AM Inspiration is BRILLIANT for developing all important intelligences, namely intra and inter personal skills, supporting the development of the moral, spiritual and social child. Connie Bergquist, Child Care Educator, 13yrs

My 4/5/6 students have been working with Arna on the I AM Program this year and they absolutely love it. As a school Principal and Special educator, I strongly recommend the program to other schools. Our students learn in different ways and this program caters for the learning needs of all students. The lessons are creative, highly motivational and inspirational. They draw strongly on The Eight Intelligences of language – logic, emotions, spatial, kinaesthetic, music, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic fields. Arna is truly gifted and dedicated to the program and has an unconditional love of all children. Margaret Eaton, Principal, Stokers Siding Public School NSW

‘I noticed Kasper stopped and listened intently when Arna read the story, ‘I am a STORM’, identifying with his own storms ‘ Kasper’s mum

"I AM Inspiration is a great way to help kids like I was… in need of greater love and self-esteem so I could make better choices….I support the mission of the I AM Program…." Gerry Robert, Bestselling author of ‘The Millionaire Mindset’

"It is important for children to have caring and trusting relationships with the primary caregivers in their lives. The I AM Program provides opportunities to build such relationships" Jasmine Dyball, Early Childhood Teacher

I AM Inspiration!

Emotional Intelligence, Key To Success

Arna Baartz

Copyright © 2011 Arna Baartz

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-4525-3716-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-4084-9 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011915123

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Printed in the United States of America

Balboa Press rev. date: 8/25/2011

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Contents

Endorsements

Forward

Welcome

Note to Educators

Our Mission Statement

The I AM Program gives back

About ‘I AM Inspiration!’

What is The I AM Program?

Why ‘I AM’?

The Eight Intelligences

Cognitive Development

Self-Esteem

Self-Esteem and Connection

Self-esteem, Emotional Intelligence and Learning

‘Negative’ Emotion

Anger

Boundaries

Self-Awareness and Choice

Loving and Caring for Self

Using Language to Encourage and Inspire

The Kindness Tree:

Thoughts and Emotions

Correct Thinking

Emotional Support for Whole Health

Tips for Daily Health:

BULLYING

Addressing Bullying With Emotional Intelligence

The Bully

Counselling Tips for a Bullying Child

Bullying and Emotion

Supporting the Angry Child

Printout for Parents of Children Who Bully

The Bullied

Being Assertive

Developing Assertiveness

What to do if YOU are Being Bullied

Action and Affirmations

Growing a Powerseed with Positive Affirmations

Printout for Parents of a Bullied Child

Tips for protecting children from being aggressive or passive:

Setting Boundaries around Media- For Parents

BRAIN GYM

The Power of Music on Self-esteem, Memory and Learning

Life is Music

Tools to Relax the Brain for Happiness and Learning:

Inspiration and Motivation

Tips for Inspiring and Motivating Children:

Affirmations for Educators

LIST OF EMOTIONS

The Emotion Scale

Three Workshops

The I AM Program Workshops 3-5yrs

I AM Worth it!

The I AM Program Workshops 6-9yrs

Self-Acceptance BIG TIME!

The I AM Program Workshops 10-12yrs

Unity Puppets

Forward

I AM A RAINBOW

I AM A STORM

I AM A PUDDLE

I AM Not A Caterpillar!

I LOVE FOOD!

EDGAR

As High As Dad’s Shoulder’s

SUNNY SAVES HIMSELF

Sunny Saves Himself

I AM A PUDDLE

POSITIVE BOUNDARIES

I AM WORTH IT

Afterword

About the Author

Contact

More I AM Workshops

Resources

Suggested Reading

Bibliography

For my eight shining stars and for Ross

Inspiration is the state in which heart and mind are connected

Deepak Chopra MD

Forward

In 1975, three behavioural psychologists conducted experiments on groups of 2nd and 5th graders. To summarize, the experiments split school children into three groups.

The first groups were treated as normal school children, but with teachers using little or no extra motivational influence for the children to learn materials and complete assigned tasks and testing.

The second groups were given the same coursework and assignments, but their teachers were instructed to utilize a special vocabulary for motivation, so as to attempt to persuade the children to do well in their work and assignments. For example, You should study hard and try to do well on the next test, was the type of strategy employed.

In the third groups, students were again assigned the same work, but this time teachers were instructed to assign attributions to the students, in the form of praise and confidence reinforcements. For example, You are doing very well in these assignments, better than I could ever have hoped for. I’m sure you will do well on the test, was the type of tactic used in the third groups.

For reference, the 2nd graders were trying to learn math, while the 5th graders were learning how not to litter and to clean up after others. Thus, there was one learning scenario, and one cognitive behaviour scenario.

The results were the same in both the 2nd and 5th grade students: The children in the first groups (the control groups) performed at the lowest levels of the three groups.

The second groups, who received persuasive suggestion that they should try to be good students (or that good students should pick up after each other), were placed second in performance evaluations.

And the third groups, the groups who were prematurely awarded the attribute of being good students (or being responsible non-litterers) and then given confidence boosters of how they would do in testing, performed at the highest levels of all the groups. (Published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1975)

So what does this study suggest? It suggests that the way children see themselves directly influences their performance levels in both coursework and behavioural interactions. It suggests that the attempt to persuade a child to try to be a better person (if they were to simply do this or that) actually might subconsciously suggest to them that they are not already that valuable person, and it just might offer them the opportunity to prove this concept of valuelessness if they happen to fail at their task.

Henry Ford, the American automobile pioneer summed up the effect of mental outlook in his simple statement, Whether you think you can, or you can’t, you are usually right.

Within the pages of this book is a program that addresses the most effective strategy in helping children to succeed, both personally and academically. The I AM Program takes the fundamental principles of developmental psychology, and applies self-esteem building practices and positive self-perception exercises that help children build a more positive personal outlook, learn about their individual emotional landscapes and thus improve their very capabilities to operate in their ever expanding worlds.

In my work with both children and adults, from a pattern recognition standpoint I’ve discerned that when a child gets angry, it is because they are having an emotional reaction to something that their identities have attached to that is currently not meeting their expectation. Similarly, when a child gets sad, they are reacting to a loss of something that their identities have attached to which they do not want to lose. When a child is fearful, they are concerned that they are going to lose something to which their identities have attached. And confidence to be able to perform a task is of course dependent on how a child perceives their own identity. Am I someone who can do this? Thus, any program that positively adjusts a child’s perception of self, improves confidence, and provides a level of emotional understanding that allows them to understand and deal with their feelings… is a HUGE WINNER and one that our global education systems are in dire need of. These types of influences can affect a child’s life and